Self-inflating retardation and floatation device



May 26,1970 G. J. SLOAN, JR., ETAL 3,514,058

SELF-INFLATING RETARDATION AND FLOATATION DEVICE Filed May 5 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Gearge J. Sloan Jr. W||||am R Ludtke TTO Y iAGENT G. J. SLOAN, JR., ETA!- Filed May 5 196B 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. I 2

United States Patent 3,514,058 SELF-INFLATING RETARDATION AND FLOATATIONDEVICE George, J. Sloan, Jr., and William P. Ludtke, Silver Spring,

Md., assignors to the United States of America as represented by theSecretary of the Navy Filed May 3, 1968, Ser. No. 726,295 Int. Cl. B64d17/04 US. Cl. 2414-438 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREAself-inflating retardation and floatation device for recovery of a loadwhich is ejected at a high altitude above a body of water. The device isbasically a parachute for retarding the rate of descent of the load inthe air and a floatation device for maintaining the load at the watersurface at the end of the flight such that the load may be recovered. Arubber or plastic bladder having an open mouth portion is enveloped by acloth cover member having a radially extending circumferential skirtmember such that the combined drag areas of the bladder, cover memberand skirt portion retard the rate of descent of the load during flight,and the bladder member which is ram-air inflated maintains the load atthe surface of the water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to recoverydevices, and more particularly to a self-inflating retardation andfloatation recovery device.

In the process of investigating various scientific phenomena at highaltitudes various types of instrumentation packages have been ejectedinto the atmosphere from an airplane, rocket or other delivery vehicle,and it has become increasingly necessary to provide recovery systems anddevices which are capable of retrieving the instrumentation packagewithout damage. Many devices have been proposed and utilized in therecovery of instrumentation packages from high altitude, with varyingdegrees of success. Some of the proposed devices provide retardation ofthe load during descending flight in a parachute-like manner, andfloatation of the load in a body of water at the end of the flight suchthat the load may be recovered from the water. Such devices have notbeen found entirely satisfactory in that either the desirable andoptimum characteristics of a retardation or floatation device have beensacrificed to enable one device to perform bothfunctions. Furthermore,the prior art devices have experienced a serious drawback in thatsufiicient retardation has not been provided to prevent the device fromsinking deep below the surface of the water upon impact resulting in thefloatation device collapsing under the high pressures experienced atdeep depths.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, one object of this invention is toprovide anew and improved self-inflating retardation and floatationdevice.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedself-inflating retardation and floatation device which exhibits the mostdesirable characteristics. of both a retardation device when in the airand a floatation device when in the water.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved self-inflating retardation and floatation device which canwithstand high opening shocks in the air and provide leak integrity inthe water.

A still further object of this invention is the provision "ice of a newand improved self-inflating retardation and floatation device which iscapable of providing retardation functions both in the air and thewater.

Another still further object of the instant invention is the provisionof a new and improved self-inflating retardation and floatation devicewhich is so shaped as to be capable of ram-air inflation and yetmaintain itself afloat with a high degree of stability and leakintegrity.

One other object of this invention is the provision of a new andimproved ram-air inflated retardation and floatation device which hasboth the optimum properties for aerodynamic flight and long floatationlife, and which will provide retardation in a body of water.

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, these andother objects are obtained by pro viding a ram-air inflated retardationand floatation device having a bladder with an open mouth portion, acover member enveloping a major portion of the bladder and also havingan open mouth portion secured to the open mouth portion of the bladder,a plurality of shroud lines extending from the cover member andconverging to a common point, a riser line extending from the commonpoint for supporting a load, and a circumferential ring shaped skirtmember having an inner edge portion attached to the cover member and anouter edge portion extending away from the cover member with a pluralityof shroud lines extending from the outer edge portion of the skirtmember to the common point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of theinvention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readilyappreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of the sequence of operation of theself-inflating retardation and floatation device of the presentinvention in the air, upon water entry and floating on the surface ofthe water;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view partly in section and partly broken away ofthe connecting members of the bladder and cover members of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the skirt member and covermember of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawingswherein like reference characters designate identical or cor-respondingparts throughout the several views, and more particularly to FIG. 1wherein a self-inflating retardation and floatation device 10 isillustrated in various positions, namely: position A functioning as anaerodynamic retardation device supporting a load 12 during descendingflight above a body of water; position B as the load 12 enters thewater; and position C wherein the device 10 functions as a floatingcondition on the surface of the water with the load 12 suspendedtherebelow. The self-inflating retardation and floatation device withthe attached load 12 may be ejected from any delivery vehicle above abody of water, and the load 12 may consist of any payload in whichrecovery is desirable such as a package of instrumentation.

As more clearly shown in FIG. 2, the retardation and floatation device10 of the present invention is basically constructed of a bag having aninner bladder 14 having an open mouth portion 16, a cover member 18conforming in shape to the bladder 14 and having an open mouth portion20 adjacent to and terminating short of the open mouth portion 16 ofbladder 14; a circumferential ring shaped skirt member 22, and aplurality of shroud and riser lines 34, 40 and 38. The bladder 14 may beconstructed of any airtight material having a high leak integritycapable of remaining inflated when in a body f water, such as rubber orplastic, and the cover member 18 may be constructed of any lightweighthigh strength flexible material such as canvas or silk cloth. The covermember 18 encapsulates the bladder 14, thus preventing the bladder fromover-expanding and rupturing due to the effect of high opening shocks. Aplurality of restraining bands 24 form a cage-like enclosure for thecover member 18, and a similar set of restraining bands 26 envelop thebladder 14 within cover member 18. The skirt member 22 iscircumferentially secured to the cover member in such a manner as todivide the retardation and floatation device 10 into an upperhemispherically shaped section 30 and a lower frusto-conical section 32.The frusto-conical shape of the lower portion 32 in combination with theopen mouth portion 16 of bladder 14 provide the optimum shape forram-air self-inflation of the retardation and floatation device 10.Extending from the circumference of the open mouth portion 16 are aplurality of shroud lines 34 which converge to a common point 36therebelow on the vertical longitudinal axis of the device. Extendingbelow the common point of attachment 36 is a riser line 38 from whichthe load 12 may be suspended. A plurality of shroud lines 40 extend froman outer edge portion 42 of the skirt member 22, and converge to thecommon point of attachment 36 for limiting the upward movement of theskirt member 22 so that it presents a maximum drag surface.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the lower terminal portions of restrainingbands 24 and 26 are shown as looped and joined by a ring shaped line 44extending through the looped portions thereof. The shroud lines 34 havean upper looped portion 46 extending about the line 44 through theterminal looped portion of bands 24.

As shown in FIG. 4, skirt member 22 has a plurality of radiallyextending band members 48 each having a loop 50 extending beyond theouter edge 42 for providing a convenient point of attachment for shroudlines 40. The opposite ends 52 of bands 48 are sewn to cover mem ber 18to firmly secure the skirt 22 about the cover member.

operationally, as the retardation and floatation device 10 is ejectedinto the atmosphere with load 12 attached thereto from an aerialvehicle, the bladder 14 is inflated by ram-air through open mouthportion 16 and the skirt member 22 forms the aerodynamic shapeillustrated in FIG. 2. The device is thus aerodynamically retarded bythe combined drag surfaces of the lower frusto-conical portion 32 of thedevice and the inflated skirt member 22. As the device strikes thewater, the load 12 will drag the floatation device below the surface ofthe water due to the momentum built up druring the aerodynamic descent.The skirt member 22 acts as a retardation device within the waterenvironment as it did in the air environment, thus limiting the depth towhich the retardation and floatation device will submerge. Without theskirt portion 22, the load 12 may drag the floatation device to a depthwhere the water pressure may collapse the bladder member 14 therebyresulting in loss of the load. Since the skirt 22 produces sufficientdrag within the water to limit the depth to which the bladder issubjected, the bladder due to high leak integrity will maintain itselffull of air and thus rise to the surface of the water with the load 12supported therebelow. On the water surface the upper portion 30, beingspherically shaped, provides floatation stability to the bladder member14 for assuring that the open mouth portion 16 will remain below thesurface of the water. The device 10 may further be provided with one ormore to assure early detection and recovery such as bright coloring,lights and radar reflective material.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the presentinvention defined by the appended claims are possible in the light ofthe above teachings. It is there fore to be understood that theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedherein.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A self-inflating retardation and floatation device comprising:

an inflatable bag formed of an airtight flexible material and having alongitudinal axis, said bag having only one opening, said opening formedby one end of said bag tapering down to a narrow open mouth;

a circumferential ring-shaped skirt member having an inner edge portionattached to said bag and an outer edge portion extending away from saidbag; and

a plurality of shroud lines extending from said narrow mouth andconverging to said axis of said bag.

2. The device claim 1 wherein said bag has a generally sphericalconfiguration above the line of attachment of said skirt member and agenerally frusto-conical configuration below the line of attachment ofsaid skirt member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 496,854 5/1893 Capazza 244322,196,947' 4/ 1940 Swoiford 244-142 3,234,503 2/ 1966 Wojciechowski244-142 3,328,750 6/1967 Gimber 244142 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, PrimaryExaminer J. E. PIITENGER, Assistant Examiner

